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Cited by 6Indigenous Health, Education, and RightsIndigenous Peoples' Rights and LawDecolonial Thought and Epistemologies

Indigenous data sovereignty in Australian higher education: paving the way for First Nations’ self-determination

Rana, Vishal, Azeez, Govand Khalid·2025·Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
DOI 10.1080/1360080x.2025.2469920
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Abstract

The Australian Universities Accord Final Report offers a historic yet insufficient opportunity to advance Indigenous self-determination in higher education. Its goals will remain hollow without dismantling the entrenched colonial foundations embedded in universities’ governance and data practices. This paper demands that Indigenous data sovereignty – the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to control data about their communities, knowledge systems, and territories – become the unyielding cornerstone of university transformation. Building on the critical work of Indigenous scholars and decolonial theorists, it presents a radical agenda: (1) advance Indigenous data governance despite systemic constraints, (2) overhaul exploitative research protocols, (3) embed Indigenous knowledge systems, (4) invest in Indigenous data infrastructures, and (5) forge alliances that centre Indigenous nationhood. This agenda challenges universities to abandon symbolic reforms and confront their colonial legacies. By embracing Indigenous data sovereignty, universities can honour their obligations and lead the charge towards a just, humane, and decolonised future.

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Authors
Rana, V., & Azeez, G. K.
Affiliations
  • Griffith University (AU)
  • Macquarie University (AU)
Corresponding author
Rana, Vishal
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2025-03-04
Volume
47
Issue
3
Pages
426-434
ISSN
  • 1360-080X (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-9508
DOI
10.1080/1360080x.2025.2469920
OpenAlex
W4408150129
Cited by
4
References
23
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1
FWCI
4.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
  • Social Sciences › Law › Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Law
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Decolonial Thought and Epistemologies
Keywords
Indigenous data sovereignty, decolonisation of higher education, Indigenous data governance, indigenous knowledge, Indigenous nationhood, university governance

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